


More Than This, Whatever It Is

by JustFolieADeuxIt



Category: Adam Lambert - Fandom, Fall Out Boy, Lady gaga - Fandom, MIKA (Musician) RPF, Other musical appearances, Real Person Fiction
Genre: Angst, Dirty Language, Drama, F/M, Fluff, Heartbreak, Mika - Freeform, Multiple Languages, Musicians, New York, Piano, Romance, Sex, Talent, bad job, life - Freeform, singer - Freeform, some smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-11
Updated: 2014-12-07
Packaged: 2018-02-24 23:54:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2601029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustFolieADeuxIt/pseuds/JustFolieADeuxIt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When you fall in love with someone, things are supposed to feel magical<br/>But if they don't fall in love with you, then what are you doing? Are you fooling yourself?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Obnoxious

He was supposed to be famous.  
He was supposed to move to Los Angeles.  
He was supposed to be rich, not working in a diner for minimum wage.

\----  
"Can I get you two anything else?" He tapped the yellow pencil against the tattered notepad and stared at the young couple. The typical "We just met but are totally in love" type. God, those people made him sick. You can't possibly love someone after a few dates. He resisted the urge to fake-gag at them.

"No, I think we're all set, aren't we love bunny?" The young man asked, touching noses with the young woman beside him. She squealed and giggled in response before giving a nod.

"Okay. Check?" 

The young man nodded.

He laid the check facing down on the table and then walked away and into the back room.

"Michael!"

"Do you have to shout?"

Andre let out a hearty laugh and smirked. "I don't have to, but I will. Can you lock up tonight?"

Michael stared at his greasy, balding boss and raised an eyebrow. "This place is open until two in the morning. I'm not getting paid to lock up."

"No, you're getting paid to do as I say."

"I'm a waiter."

"You're my employee and if you'd like to be unemployed then by all means, don't lock up." Andre shrugged, walking out of the room.

Michael ran his hands through his mop of dark brown curls and sighed heavily. Today had been a bad day. Too many people complaining, people spilling things, people returning orders, people in general. He wanted to go home. He could feel a headache pulsing behind his eyes and the heat of the Diner's kitchen was dizzying.

He looked at the clock. Lock up was in 4 hours. He could do it, make it through the night. Then he could go back to his flat, curl up in bed and watch Sex In The City.

He often wondered where he went wrong. Only 4 months ago he thought he was heading towards a massive deal with a largely known record company. But somehow the contract folded and he found himself at the front steps of "Andre's Fantastic Fries & Shakes" Diner, begging for a job. His worst fear was to be homeless

Michael headed back to the dining area and looked around for any tables that needed tending to. Most people had gone home apart from the young couple, now making out in the corner of their booth.

When he'd finally locked up and walked the 2 blocks back to his apartment, he was too stressed to relax. He threw his coat on the sofa and sat down at the piano that he'd payed a few guys to maneuver into the tiny complex. His fingers ached from carrying dishes around all day but he was longing to write a new song. 

"... I'm a mediocre writer, who sings all of the time.." He pressed his fingers down on the keys.

"Writing songs about misfortune and other peoples crimes.." He sang, moving his fingers. 

He grinned to himself and grabbed a pen, quickly scribbling down the lyrics he'd come up with. He rehearsed it in his head a bit before playing more notes, changing up the order. He was chewing on the end of his pen, tying to come up with another line when someone banged on his door.

He jumped slightly, dropping the pen. "Who is it?" He called, standing up.

"It's your neighbour.. From downstairs." A girls voice replied.

Michael opened the door, facing a young woman. She was average height and skinny. Long brown curls cascaded around her shoulders and her eyes were a dashing shade of green.

"Yeah, I'm Janie.. I live in the apartment below you.. You do realize it's 3:30? In the morning? And you're singing? Very loudly might I add. And.... Did I hear a piano?" She asked, crossing her arms.

Michael looked at the clock and then at the piano, before looking back to Janie. "I am really sorry.. I'll stop."

"Mm.. Okay, good. Because I have to be at work in 5 hours and I'd really like to spend them sleeping. Peacefully."

"I'm sorry." Michael repeated.

"Great." Janie turned around, her black pajama pants sweeping the ground as she walked down the hall towards the stairwell.

"Hey!" Michael called after her.

"What?" She turned her head, sounding annoyed.

"Was it good?"

"Excuse me?"

".... What you heard?" 

She just blinked at him and opened the door to the stairs, slamming it behind her.

Michael closed his door and headed into his bedroom. He realized he wasn't good at making friends at 3 AM and decided to go to sleep. He was just happy he had the day off tomorrow.

\----  
"I want a grande chocolate chip frap, low-fat, no whip." 

Janie stared at the woman standing before her. Late 30's, fake blonde hair, fake red nails, fake gold jewelry and hey, look a that, fake tits. Janie snorted to herself and wrote the woman's order down on a plastic cup. "Is that all?"

"Yes."

"4.95$ Is your total." Janie replied, reaching her hand across the counter for money.

The woman gave her a look and slid her platinum Mastercard across the machine. "I don't pay with cash." She murmured, staring at Janie's hand.

"Right.. Okay. Your drink will be ready in a minute."

The woman walked away and went to sit at a table in the corner, admiring her plastic nails.

"Next." Janie called, making sure another barista was making snooty-lady's drink.

"Can I just get a tall hot vanilla lat-.."

"You've got to be kidding me." Janie muttered, staring at him.

Michael looked at her and then smirked. "You're pajama girl. I didn't know you worked here."

"You're loud obnoxious piano man." She replied, grapping a styrofoam cup. "Are you stalking me now?" She joked.

"Well, gosh no. Like I said, I didn't know you worked here." He replied.

"Well..What was it you wanted? Tall hot what?"

"Vanilla latte.."

"Whole milk or non-fat?"

"Whole." He said, handing her a 5$.

Janie looked around to make sure the manager wasn't around and then looked at Michael. "Sorry for being a bitch last night."

"What? No. You weren't a bitch. You were reasonably complaining about my obnoxiousness." He smiled, taking his change.

She snorted again. "So.. You got my name last night. What's yours? Or should I just write 'Piano Man'?"

"It's Michael.. But my friends call me Mika."

"Hmm.. That's nice." She smirked, writing on the cup. "It'll be ready in a few minutes."

"Great.. I'll just sit over there and not play piano." He smirked and walked away.

Janie looked at the floor, trying not to laugh. She glanced up in time to see Miss Snooty grab her drink and prance out the door. 

Michael had sat at a table by the door and was unfolding the paper from last night, re-reading the lyrics he'd added when he woke up. He got lost in his thoughts when a hand with black-painted nails set his coffee on the table.

He looked up at Janie. "Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah." She murmured, heading back behind the counter.

As he stood to leave, he looked at his cup, noticing she'd wrote 'Mika'.

"Aww, are we friends?" He called at her, opening the door.

"Don't count on it!" She called back. 

But she was all smiles. She wasn't serious and he knew it.

"Who was that?"

Janie turned to face her friend Carly. They both worked at the coffee shop together and were taking classes at the local college.

"Who?" Janie asked, smiling to herself as she wiped down the counter.

"The guy you were talking to.. The one with the pretty eyes." Carly sighed.

Janie snorted and threw the rag over her shoulder. "He lives in the same building as me.. He's my upstairs neighbour. He's obnoxious."

"He's your neighbour?" Carly swooned, pressing her hands to her chest.

"Oh my God, you're such a dork." Janie replied, heading into the back room to find a box of lids, which she'd realized they were low on behind the counter.

"Come on.. He is seriously good looking." Carly protested, taking her apron off. 

Janie didn't say anything, just hummed quietly. When she saw Carly throw her apron into her locker, she blinked. 

"Are you off work already?"

"I have my break now and it's an hour so I'm going to go get food somewhere. You coming?"

"My break's not for another two hours.."

Carly frowned. "Want me to bring you something?"

"Okay.. Thanks." Janie smiled slightly and went back to work as Carly bounced out the door.

\----

Mika awoke the next morning and looked at the clock. The big red letters hurt his tired eyes. He wanted to go back to sleep, but he knew his shift started in 2 hours. He hoped he had enough time to grab a coffee.

Janie wanted to sigh when she saw him heading towards the doors at 8:30 that morning. But a part of her was excited to be running into him again. She got into position at the counter and waited.

Mika walked in and saw her. "Hi, Janie."

"Don't use my name, that's creepy." Janie said, rolling her eyes but grinning.

"Okay.. Hi stranger." Mika smirked, giving her a 5$. "Remember what I want?"

"How could I forget the man who orders a womanly drink?" Janie asked, grabbing a cup and writing on it. "One super womanly drink for my super annoying neighbour, Mika."

Mika shrugged. "Aw shucks, that's so sweet."

Janie threw her head back and laughed. Once she'd composed herself, she handed him his change and kept the conversation going. "Why are you here so early?"

"I have work in a bit."

"Where do you work?" She asked.

"That stupid Diner.. You know, Andre's?"

"Ew.. Their food is gross. I mean-.. Shit." Janie pressed a hand to her mouth. "Sorry-.."

"I'm not a cook." He laughed. "Trust me, I wouldn't eat there if someone payed me.. I'm just a waiter."

Janie's cheeks were red now and she could feel it, her face was hot and her stomach was full of butterflies. She didn't even know what it was, but it felt exhilarating. She wanted to know more about him but he spoke first.

He grabbed his coffee and smiled. "I have to go.."

"Yeah.." She said lightly, fiddling with her marker.

"Have a good day." He told her, heading towards the door.

"Mika, wait." She said, following him.

"Yeah?"

She just handed him his receipt and then hurried into the back room.

He blinked but left the Cafe and started his walk towards Andre's Diner. When he was just about there, he finally looked at the receipt and smiled to himself.

Written in black marker, over the printing on the paper was scratchy writing that said. "I changed my mind. Count on it."

\----

"Was he here today?" Carly asked, bursting through the door and fetching her apron.

"Who?"

"The guy, Janie! The one from your building!"

"Yeah, this morning.."

"Did you talk to him?"

"Do you want me to hook up with him or something?" Janie scoffed. "Come on, guys are no good. Especially guys like him."

"What's that supposed to mean? 'Guys like him'?"

"You know.. The overly friendly musical type.."

"Why are those guys bad?"

Janie shrugged. "Not everything needs an explanation, Carl."

"Don't call me Carl!"

Janie laughed. "But it's adorable."

Carly threw her a fake-angry look and went to start taking orders.

\----  
When Mika arrived home from work that night, he looked at the clock. It was just about to be 8 PM. He figured Janie was still working so he sat at the piano, hoping no one would complain about the noise.

He unfolded the paper from before and focused on the keys.

"You're a lonely alcoholic, with a tendency to whine.." He sang. He'd been trying to find a connecting line for that, for hours. 

He went back to the original lines he'd started with and found that just made it harder. Groaning, he massaged his temples and then tried again. He only realized how long he'd been practicing when knocking woke him up. He'd fallen asleep with his head on the keys.

"Coming!" He called. "Who is it?"

"Janie."

He opened the door and took in the scene. She was standing there, her tight black jeans hugging her bony hips, her white blouse wrinkled and stained with coffee. Her hair was in a sloppy ponytail and her mascara was smudged down her cheeks.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Your makeup.." He raised a finger and pointed to her eyes.

"Oh.." She brought her hands up to her face and wiped under her eyes and across her cheeks. "The steam.. You know.. From the coffee.. I just got back.. And I heard you playing."

"I suppose you've come to tell me to shut up now." He grinned, leaning against the door frame.

"Actually, no.. I wanted to tell you to change that last note to a G, not the F you keep playing."

"G.." He repeated, nodding slowly. "You play piano?"

"Used to. Don't really have time now.."

".... What about now?" He asked, gesturing to his piano.

"Ha.. Creepy and obnoxious." She joked, walking past him and inside. "Nice furniture." She commented, running a finger along the white leather sofa.

"Thank you." He said, closing the door gently and watching as she sat at the piano. 

"How old are you anyway?"

"Me?"

"No, the invisible guy in the room." Janie said sarcastically.

"I'm 22."

"I'm 19." Janie replied, her fingers playing what he had written on the paper but she switched the F to the G that she'd suggested.

"You're right.. Sounds better." He said, sitting beside her on the bench.

"I know. It's been bugging me." She stuck out her tongue. "When you practice.. I'm like, sitting there going, switch to the G, switch to the fucking G!"

"Was bothering you that much?"

"Why do you think I bothered coming over to help?" She smirked.

He shook his head and smiled. "So, I saw what you wrote on the receipt."

"Good. Friends then?" She asked.

"Friends." He replied, smiling again. 

"Okay, cool. But if you practice after midnight, we're enemies again.."

"We were enemies?"

"Anyone who plays the piano at 3 in the morning is instantly my enemy.. But you get a second chance because.."

"Because why?" Mika asked.

"Because you're nice." Janie smiled, standing up.

"So are you.."

"Right." Janie replied, heading for the door. "See you around, Mika."

He gave her a wave and then smiled to himself, hoping he'd finally made a friend. He'd almost been sure that moving to New York was a bad idea. Now, he was feeling quite content.


	2. Coffee

The next morning, Janie found herself up extra early for work and already in a bad mood. Her head hurt and she wanted to sleep for at least another hour. She groggily looked at her clock. It was barely 5 AM and she had to open the shop at 6 AM on the dot.

She got out of bed and tried to wake herself by having a hot shower. Once she was dressed and ready to go, she grabbed her coat and left. 

When she arrived, she unlocked the doors and headed inside, flipping the sign in the window to 'Open'. She then turned on the radio and began to start the 5 different coffee makers. She absent-mindedly began to dance as "Edge Of Glory" by Lady Gaga played.

She didn't notice when someone entered and walked up to the counter, as she had her back turned.

"I'm on the edge with you!" Mika sang loudly, hopping on the counter.

Janie screamed and dropped the stack of cups she was holding. She whirled around and came face-to-face with him. "What the fuck?!" She exclaimed, placing a hand over her chest. Her heart was pounding from being startled.

"Boo. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." He said, laughing slightly. "You scream like a girl." He joked.

"Last time I checked, that is my gender." She muttered, bending down to gather the cups. "By the way, you should get off the counter before I get in trouble."

Mika hopped off the counter and went around to help her. He knelt down and gathered some of the cups.

"Oh my God.. You can't be behind the counter either! You don't work here."

"Oh hush and let a stranger do a good deed."

She snorted as she stood up. "Stranger? You're elevating the creepy level."

He stood and shrugged, smirking. "Mind if I hang around?"

"Hang around?" She repeated, looking at him.

"I have the day off and I wanted to work on my music.. On paper. I promise I won't play any instruments in here and beg for money." He smirked, crossing his fingers.

"Yeah, fine." She pointed to a table in the corner. "Go sit."

"You have to take my order first." He pouted.

"I already know what you want. A girly drink." She snorted again. "I'll bring it to you when the coffee is ready. I just started it."

"Very well." He smiled and payed and then headed over to the table. He sat and opened the bag that was slung over his shoulder. He pulled out a binder stuffed with multiple loose sheets of paper. He then dug out a pen.

Janie walked over with his coffee a few minutes later and sat on the chair across from him. "Can I see?"

"Hmm?" He looked up and smiled.

"Can I look at your lyrics?"

"Sure." He handed over some papers. "I'm working on most of them.."

Janie scanned over the lyrics and then handed the papers back. "This one.. This first one.. Will you sing it for me sometime? So I can heard how it sounds?"

"Sure." He smiled. "You can come by my place when you're done with work if you want."

She looked at him. "Hmmmm... Okay. I'm off at 5. How come you're not working?" She asked.

"I have the day off. I think Andre likes it when I'm not working anyway." He laughed slightly. 

She smirked and stood up. "Okay, well.. I have to get back to work.. I'll see you later." 

He watched as she walked off to the back room and then smiled at the papers. He felt good about his work now, more confident.. She wanted to hear him sing the lyrics. The words that meant so much to him.

\----  
Mika glanced at the clock as he sat at his piano. He then looked back to the keys and sighed. It was nearly 7 PM and Janie hadn't turned up. He figured he'd been dumb to think she was serious. She had better things to do. College, friends, life. She had a life.

Mika didn't feel like he had much of a life. All he did was work and write music that he half-hated. He didn't have friends in New York, he didn't go to college and he didn't feel much like going to clubs or bars. It wasn't his lifestyle.

He got up and headed into the kitchen, filling a kettle with water and sticking it on the stove. He could hear rain pounding down outside and hitting the cheap metal rain gutters that were attached to the apartment complex. He turned his head to the door, thinking he heard a knock.

"Mika?" A voice called through the door.

He wandered over to look through the peephole, then opened the door and looked at Janie. She was soaked and still in her work clothes.

"Hi." She smiled.

"Hey there.. Come in." He moved aside and let her in.

"Sorry-.. I'm late.. The manager made everyone stay for some stupid meeting." She said, rolling her eyes and setting her oversized book bag on his kitchen table. She opened it and took out a change of clothes. "Where's your bathroom?" 

He pointed to a door. "There.. And there's towels in there.. So you can dry your hair." He offered.

She smiled and headed into the bathroom. She looked in the mirror and tried to fix her eye makeup the best she could with some tissue. Once her wet clothes were removed, she threw on the pair of pajama pants and t shirt that had been crammed in her bag. 

Mika glanced at her as she walked back into the livingroom. Her hair fell past her shoulders in half damp waves and her cheeks were pink from the coldness of the rain. She walked into the kitchen, stuffing her wet clothes back in her bag. 

"So, what are you up to?" She asked, looking at him.

He looked back at her. "I'm making tea.. Do you want some?" He offered.

She nodded. "Sure. Did you get any writing done?"

"Not really.. I mostly just sat and.. Watched TV, to be honest.. I get so distracted."

"What distracts you?" She asked, pulling out a chair and sitting at the table.

"Things.." He murmured, opening a cupboard to pull out two mugs. "Sounds, objects.. Just random things." He shrugged, placing them on the table.

".. Where are you from?" She asked

"What?" He looked at her.

"Your accent." She smirked, resting her chin on her hand.

"Oh-.. I'm from Lebanon.. But I grew up in London.. Kind of a mut if you want to be casual about it." He laughed slightly and sat across from her. "What about you? You born here or?"

"California." Janie replied. "Moved here about 3 years ago."

"Why?" 

"Because my parents are fucking pricks. So, I got my GED, moved here and lived with my friend Carly until she got me the job at the Cafe. Once I could afford my own place.. I moved in here-.. Below you."

"Such tasteful words you use to describe the ones who gave you life." He smirked.

"Oh please. They wanted me to go to college and be a fucking professor or some shit. Not me, no way. I know what I want in life."

"What do you want in life?" He asked.

"To be free." She said.

He nodded. "Understandable."

"So, why did you move to New York?" She asked.

"Well I first moved to Los Angeles, thinking I was going to get this record deal and be famous and shit. But instead, I got no record deal and I ended up here." He told her.

"What happened?"

"They ended up not liking me." He murmured. "Said my music was too.. Out there." 

She snorted. "That's stupid."

"I know." He said as he prepared the tea.

He sat back down and handed her her mug. 

"Thanks." She smiled and breathed in the spicy scent of cinnamon mixed with vanilla and honey.

Mika brought over the papers with the lyrics and some pens. "Ready to get to work?"

"Okay.. But first you're supposed to sing this one." She said, tapping her finger on the paper she'd read earlier at the Cafe.

Mika blushed and nodded. "Right." He said, his cheeks going red. "Do you want to hear it with the piano?" He asked.

"Yeah." She nodded.

They headed into the livingroom, Janie sitting on the couch while he sat at the piano and started to play.

"It's called Underwater." He told her before he began to sing.

Janie watched him, observing how he concentrated on where his fingers moved about on the piano, how his lips moved as he sang. She loved it. She loved his voice, his lyrics.. She loved it all.

When he finished what he had written of the song, she clapped. 

"You like it?"

"It's beautiful and your voice is.. Amazing. Mika, I love it."

Mika smiled softly. "Thank you.." He said, feeling a bit embarrassed. He worried about what others thought of his music ever since the record company had ditched the offer of a deal.

The two spent the rest of the night working on his music and coming up with new lyrics until they both got exhausted and fell asleep on the couch. He was slumped over against some pillows and she was asleep with her head on the arm of the couch.

They slept through the night, the sound of the rain was just a soft noise in the background. A soothing New York performance.


	3. Fly

Mika woke the next morning to find Janie had left for work but there was a note on his coffee table. He rubbed his eyes and picked it up to read it.

"Last night was fun. I work 8 to 3 - Swing by if you're free. - J"

Mika smiled and looked at the clock. It was 9:10. He had to work at 2, so he figured he would have a shower and eat something before heading to the Cafe to see Janie.

He looked at his phone as it started to ring.

"Hello?" He answered, rolling onto his back on the couch.

"Mika, darling? Hello." A womans voice responded.

"Stef?" Mika grinned. "How are you?"

"I'm well.. Exhausted but well. The tour is over now and I'm free for 2 weeks.. I was hoping you could fly out and see me."

"Yeah.. I'll have to talk to my boss but I'm sure I could be there by tomorrow..." He told her. 

"Great. Text me your flight details and I'll pick you up at the airport when you get in. Talk to you soon. Ciao."

"Ciao." He hung up and then grinned again.

\----  
"What can I get you?" Carly asked as Mika entered the Cafe. She felt giddy to see him again and couldn't believe Janie hadn't asked him out yet.

"Actually.. I was just wondering.. Is Janie here?" He asked, looking around.

"She's on her break.. Do you want me to get her?"

"Please." He smiled.

Carly walked into the back where Janie was sitting, scrolling through Twitter on her phone. "Jane"

"Hm?" She turned her head.

"That guy is here.. He's looking for you."

Janie stood and peeked out of the doorway, seeing him. "Miiiika." She grinned, heading over and hopping over the counter.

"Hi." He smiled, surprised as she hugged him.

"Hi."

"I have to talk to you about something." He grinned, pulling her over to a table and sitting down. "I have a friend in LA and.. I'm going to go see her for a week or two."

Janie looked at him. "Okay..?"

"You may know her." He smiled.

She threw him a confused look. "What?"

He took out his phone and went through his photos until he found one of him and Stefani. He turned the phone around so she could see.

Janie slammed her hands on the table. "No fucking way!" She exclaimed in a whisper, not wanting the manager to hear her curse. "You're friends with Lady Gaga?!"

"Indeed." He smiled at her..

Janie just stared at him. "So you're flying out to see her?"

"We."

"We? We're flying out? As in you and me?" She squeaked.

"If you can take a week off." He smiled.

"She won't mind you bringing some random girl you barely know?"

"She won't mind." He nodded. "I'd love for you to come."

"Okay... Oh wow. This is amazing." She couldn't help but bounce on the chair a bit. "Thank you, Mika."

"You don't have to thank me.. I just figure.. You're my new friend.. And pretty much my only friend in New York and.. I want you to come to LA with me."

She looked at him. "I can't believe I bitched you out that one night."

"If you hadn't.. We probably wouldn't be sitting here right now." He laughed and then got up with her and hugged her. "Come by later and let me know if you can come.. If you can, pack and bring your things over, we'll probably fly out tonight."

Janie nodded. "Okay.. I'll come by after work."

"I have work.. But here.. Just hang out in mine if I'm not back." He said, going through the keys on his keyring. He took off the spare one to his apartment and gave it to her. "Don't lose that."

She laughed. "I'll give it to a stranger." She joked.

"You do that and you're not going anywhere." He said, playfully punching her arm. He then waved and headed off to go to work.

Janie bounced back into the other room. Carly looked at her. "What was that about?"

"He's taking me to LA! For a whole week!" She exclaimed. "Will you take my shifts?" She begged, throwing her arms around the blonde.

Carly scoffed. "Fine. Only because you're my friend. You're so lucky.. ugh."

Janie just squealed and clapped. "Thank you."

"I have a question.. How come you haven't asked him out yet? I mean.. He's barely older than you, he's good looking AND he's a musician." Carly frowned.

"Carly.. Isn't it obvious?"

"What?"

"I'm about 99 percent sure he's gay."

"Gay? You think he's GAY?" Carly flailed. "No way."

"Yes way. I spent all night with him and he's the first guy to hang out with me who didn't look at my boobs or try to take my pants off."

"He didn't look at your boobs?" Carly frowned.

Janie slapped her arm. "No! We just wrote music and ate cookies.. And.. Talked about life.."

"Yeah.. He's gay." Carly sighed. "Sucks"

"Not really." Janie shook her head. "It's nice to have a male friend who isn't creepy."

\----  
After finishing work, talking to her boss and packing at her place, she went upstairs and walked down the hall to Mika's door. She knocked twice and then let herself in with the spare key when he didn't answer. She figured he was still at work.

She walked inside, wheeling a suitcase behind her. It felt awkward being inside of someone's apartment without them there. She shut the door and re-locked it before sitting on the couch. She thought about last night and how they'd been talking and laughing for hours, then smiled to herself.

2 hours later, the locks turned and the door opened. Mika walked in and looked at her, laying across the couch with a book she'd found on one of his many bookshelves.

"Hey." He said quietly, removing his jacket.

"Hi." She replied, sitting up and looking at him. He was definitely not in the same bouncy mood he'd been in earlier.

"So, I got a week off and I packed.." She pointed to her suitcase and book bag that she'd filled with things she needed.

He smiled softly. "Our flight is at Midnight." He told her, heading into his kitchen.

She could tell something was wrong and proceeded to follow him. "Are you okay?"

He looked at her. "I quit."

"You quit your job?"

He nodded.

"Why? What happened?" She asked.

"Andre.. He went too far tonight. I refuse to let people treat me the way he did." He said quietly.

She didn't want to be nosy and ask anymore questions so instead she just frowned and looked at the table. "It's okay.. My boss is a dick too. He threatened to fire me tonight when I asked for a week off."

"He didn't fire you, did he?" Mika asked, feeling guilty.

"No." She shook her head. "He can't find anyone else desperate enough to work the hours I do." She laughed.

He smirked as he made tea. "That's my favourite." He said, looking back at her.

"Huh?"

He pointed to the book still in her hands.

"Oh-.. Heh." She turned red. "I got bored."

He shrugged. "No worries. I don't mind." He smiled, sitting at the table with her.

"Can I ask you something kind of personal?"

He looked at her. "Sure."

Janie laughed slightly. "So.. We've been hanging out and Carly.. Was asking me why I haven't asked you out and I told her..." She scratched the back of her neck, feeling awkward. "I told her it's because I'm pretty sure you're uh.."

"Gay?" He finished the sentence for her and then smirked.

"You are?"

"Well, I don't like to use labels but yes." He nodded. "I am."

She nodded. "Sorry-.. I know that's kind of rude to sa-.."

He cut her off and waved a hand. "It's fine. I hope I didn't lead you on-.. Don't get me wrong, you're beautiful.." 

She blushed. "You didn't lead me on.. But thank you." She said quietly. "You're handsome you know."

He smirked. "Oh I know." He joked.

"I think we make wonderful friends.. Would almost be a shame if you were straight.. That could've ruined everything. I think you may just be the best male I've had the privilege to hang out with." She smiled.

"You're a doll." He smiled.

\----  
When 11 rolled around they headed to the airport and got on their flight to Los Angeles. The plane was new and smelled like metal and fresh upholstery. Janie settled into her seat next to a window and smiled. 

"I love flying." She said, placing her book bag by her feet.

Mika sat next to her in the middle seat and did his seatbelt. "It's nice to fly at night.. You can see all the stars." He smiled.

"Are we staying at a Hotel when we arrive?"

"No, no. We're staying with Gaga." He smiled.

"Seriously? This can't get any more awesome."

"It can." He laughed. "I know a few others thanks to her."

"Who?" She stared at him after she did up her seat belt.

"Adam Lambert.. The guys from Fall Out Boy, Katy Perry.. Just a few."

She squealed quietly. "That's so cool."

"You'll get to meet some of them.. We're going to have a lot of fun. I promise."

The plane took off and rose into the dark blue night sky. Once it had leveled out, Janie peered out the window, looking at the stars. She smiled to herself and then sat back.

After a half hour of silence, she looked at him. "What are you going to do?"

"Huh?"

"You quit your job.. How are you going to pay rent? And buy food?"

"I'll think of something.." He told her, but wasn't so sure himself.

She looked at him and changed the subject. "It's cold."  
He lifted the armrest up and put it back so it wasn't in the way. "Indeed." He scooted closer to her and put an arm around her.

She smiled and moved closer, laying her head on his shoulder. 

Janie wanted to talk, but the long day pulled at her tired eyes and made them close. She could feel his other arm wrap around her as she started to drift off to sleep. He was holding her as he fell asleep himself. Things were perfect 50,000 feet in the air.


End file.
